Carry On Wayward Son
by xsmokeandmirrors
Summary: [WWE AU] Monroeville is just a few miles north of Houston, Texas. There's always something going on, whether it's Dolph Ziggler falling for the local barista AJ Lee, or Seth Rollins and Paige meeting for the first time at a concert. There's always something going on. You just have to look. [MULTIPLE PAIRINGS]
1. Centuries

**This is a new story! It's currently being posted on Wattpad, too, but it's new to this site! It's AU and it features multiple pairings. The first two chapters are introducing all the main characters, while the rest will be chapter focused on certain pairings. If that didn't make sense, you'll figure it out eventually. :P**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely no one in this story. I only own the town of Monroeville.**

* * *

Rain drops slowly rolled down the car window. Kaitlyn had leaned her head against it, and was currently staring out the window.

Her dad sat in the driver's seat. The car was silent. They passed a sign that read "Monroeville 23." Only 23 more miles and Kaitlyn could get out of the damn car she had been in since 7 in the morning. It was currently 6 PM.

Kaitlyn wasn't upset; she was just tired. She had just graduated college in Minnesota and she was currently heading back to Texas to help her family run their hardware store. Since she had majored in Business, she was excited for the opportunity.

Finally, they reached their destination: Monroeville, Texas. It was located just outside of Houston and it was the town that Kaitlyn would be calling home.

They drove into a neighborhood, and after a few turns, her dad pulled into a driveway.

"Until you get back on your feet, you can stay with your mom and me," Her dad had told her, after she had decided to move back to Texas.

They get out of the car, and it is lightly raining. Her dad opens the trunk and they take her luggage out. They lug it inside.

Kaitlyn brings her things to her room. It was the guest room. When Kaitlyn started college and moved out, her parents moved from Houston to Monroeville, so she never actually had a room in this house.

She sets her suitcases down, deciding to unpack in the morning. She leaves her room and goes downstairs, into the kitchen, where her parents are talking. When her mom sees her, she smiles.

"Kaitlyn!" She pauses. "Your hair..."

During her junior year of college, Kaitlyn had added blonde to her brown hair. She loved how it turned out and was quite proud of it.

Kaitlyn shrugs and smiles. "I like it."

"Oh no, I like it, dear," Her mom says. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"Well," Her dad says, changing the subject. "Dinner's almost ready. Kaitlyn, why don't you set the table?"

"Okay," She says. Her mom points to the drawer with the silverware and she opens it.

Kaitlyn walks into the dining room, setting forks, knives, and plates on the table. When she finishes, her mom walks in and sets dinner on the table.

The Bonin family sits down and they begin eating.

* * *

The next morning, Kaitlyn woke up. There was a loud noise coming from outside. She quickly sat up, angry, ready to yell at someone. She walked over to her window and opened the curtains.

She stopped.

It was bright and sunny, a huge contrast from yesterday's rainy day.

Her room looked over the front yard. In her front yard, a man was mowing the lawn. She didn't know who he was. He had short black hair, but that was all she could tell from where she stood.

If someone was mowing the lawn, that meant she didn't have to do it, so she wasn't about to yell at the guy getting her out of doing yard work. She walked over to her suitcase, deciding to get the unpacking out of the way.

Once she was done and had an outfit laid out on her bed, she headed to the bathroom and took a shower.

When she was clean and dressed, Kaitlyn went downstairs, where her parents were in the living room, talking and laughing with someone. She took a detour into the kitchen, grabbing a granola bar and strawberry yogurt. She quickly ate it then walked into the living room.

Her parents were sitting on the couch, and a man was sitting in a chair across from them. He had short hair cut close to his head, so Kaitlyn couldn't tell what color it was. He was definitely older than her. He seemed nice, though.

Her mom noticed her first. "Good morning, dear!"

"Good morning, Mom," She says.

"Dustin, this is our daughter, Kaitlyn," Her dad says. "Kaitlyn, this is Dustin Rhodes. He and his brother work at Dusty's Antiques, which is across the street from the hardware store."

Kaitlyn looks at the man and smiles. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"So you're Kaitlyn," Dustin muses. Kaitlyn raises an eyebrow. He laughs. "Your parents talk about you all the time. It's nice to finally meet you."

She raises an eyebrow and looks at her parents. "Oh, really?"

"We're just proud of you, that's all," Her mom says.

The front door opens and closes, and the black-haired man walks into the living room. He was wearing a gray muscle tee and black basketball shorts. He was sweating, but he was smiling.

"I just finished the front yard," He says. "I was hoping I could get a drink and then I'd start on the back."

"Of course," Her mom says, standing up. They walk out of the room and into the kitchen.

"Um..." Kaitlyn says. "Who was that?"

"That was my brother, Cody," Dustin explains. "He normally mows your parents' lawn."

"Oh," Kaitlyn says.

She wasn't going to say it out loud, especially not in front of his brother, and definitely not in front of her dad, but Cody was definitely attractive.

Dustin and her dad begin talking again, so Kaitlyn says, "I'm going to go explore the town."

She grabs her things from upstairs and walks outside.

* * *

Seth Rollins unlocked the door to his tattoo parlor and walked in. He flipped the sign from "Closed" to "Open" and began turning on the lights.

He walks to the back room to put his things down. He hears the front door open and assumes it's Phil Brooks, one of the tattoo artists. He walks out of the room, but it wasn't Phil.

It was his best friend Roman Reigns.

Seth raises an eyebrow. "Do you need something, Roman?"

Roman shrugs and smirks. "What? I can't just visit my friend?"

"I just opened up shop," Seth points out. "Are you stalking me? 'Cause that's creepy, man."

Roman rolls his eyes. "No, I'm not stalking you. Geez, Seth, why do you always think I'm stalking you?"

Seth shrugs. "Sorry. It's just an instinct." Roman gives him a weird look. "What do you want?"

"Parkway Drive and a bunch of those other screamo bands you listen to are going to be at Barrett's next week," Roman explains. "And being the great friend I am, I got you a ticket."

"You want another tattoo, don't you?"

"Okay, that might be part of the reason, too," Roman admits.

"Well, I can't turn down Parkway Drive and 'those other screamo bands,' so yeah, I'll give you another tattoo," Seth says.

"Awesome!" Roman exclaims. "Can I come in on Sunday? I'm off that day and I don't have to worry about taking JoJo to school."

"Yeah, Sunday works for me," Seth says.

"Great, I'll see you then," Roman says. "I have to go. See you later, Seth."

As Roman walks out the door, Phil walks in. He looks at Seth, smirking.

"Did he bribe you again?" He asks.

"Maybe..."

Phil chuckles. "Hey, whatever, man. Just don't blame me when you go bankrupt."

"Shut it, Brooks."

* * *

The front door of Kofi's Coffee opened, and a woman with blonde and brown hair walked in. She looked around and smiled.

The girl behind the counter, a young brown-haired girl, watched her with wide eyes. The one who walked in didn't seen to notice, her eyes scanning the menu for something to drink instead.

"Kaitlyn...?"

Kaitlyn looked away from the menu and looked at the barista, confused. Her eyes widened.

"AJ?" Kaitlyn asks, incredulously. The girl nods. "Oh my gosh, it's been so long!"

"I know!" AJ says, smiling. "What have you been doing? What are you doing back here?"

"I got my Bachelor's degree in Business, and I came back here to help my parents with their hardware store," Kaitlyn explains. "What about you?"

"Well..." AJ says, thinking. "When I graduated high school, I got the hell outta Houston and moved here."

A woman walked toward AJ from the kitchen. She had tan skin and brown hair.

"Hey, AJ, who is this?" She asks. She had a British accent and seemed interested in the new girl.

"This is Kaitlyn," AJ explains. "We were best friends back in high school. Kaitlyn, this is Layla. She works here."

"Nice to meet you," Kaitlyn says, smiling.

Layla tilts her head thoughtfully, observing Kaitlyn. "Yeah. Nice to meet you, too."

She winks at Kaitlyn before walking back into the kitchen. Kaitlyn looks at AJ, confused. She giggles.

"Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?"

AJ nods. "Yeah. So... Would you like to order something?"

Kaitlyn orders a coffee, so AJ goes to the back and starts making it. The door opens and Kaitlyn turns around.

A guy walked in and looked unhappy. His bleach blond hair was pulled back. He was wearing a pink shirt and black blazer. He had a phone to his ear and was talking loudly. Kaitlyn tried tuning him out.

A few minutes later, AJ came out, smiling and holding a cup of coffee. As Kaitlyn pulls out some money, AJ notices the man who came in and frowns.

"What's wrong?" Kaitlyn asks, frowning. She hands AJ the money.

"Oh...uh, nothing," She replies, putting the money in the cash register. She tries smiling. "I hope I'll see you around, Kaitlyn!"

"Yeah, me too," Kaitlyn says. "We definitely need to hang out."

"Are you two almost done?" The man asks, irritation clear in his voice. "Or did you forget that you have other customers?"

AJ was about to point out that he was the only other customer, but Kaitlyn cuts her off, saying, "Oh, sorry. I'll see you later, AJ."

Before AJ can protest, her friend walks past the man and leaves. The man smirks and walks up to the counter.

"So your name is AJ?" He asks.

She rolls her eyes. "Do you want something to drink or not, Dolph?"

"Aren't you supposed to treat your customers nicely?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Not if it's you," She says. "Now do you want something or not?"

"Ooh, you're mean today," He says. "But I'll have a green tea..." AJ raises an eyebrow. "It's not for me! Anyway, and I'll have a French vanilla iced coffee."

"Got it."

AJ tells him the price and goes in the back to make the drinks. While she's back there, Dolph's phone rings. He answers it.

"Hello?"

"Dolph, where the hell are you?" It was Renee Young, his co-worker and the other reporter for the local news station.

"I made a coffee run," He says.

"Dolph, we start filming in twenty minutes!" Renee exclaims.

"Renee, just relax," He says. "I'll be there on time, don't worry."

AJ comes out with the drinks then, so Dolph hangs up before Renee can keep complaining.

Dolph pays for the drinks and leaves. Layla comes from the back to stand next to AJ.

"So...?" She asks, smirking.

"What?" AJ asks, confused.

"You know! Have you and him...?" She raises her eyebrows.

AJ's eyes widen. "No! Oh my God, no! Layla, what the hell?!"

Layla just shrugs. "Can't blame a girl for asking."

She returns to the back, while AJ rolls her eyes.

* * *

"Okay class," Bayley Martinez says, smiling at her restless class. "Remember that tomorrow is show and tell. Make sure you bring something to show the class! Now, everyone clean up!"

The kids got up and put away their things. The final bell was going to ring in a few minutes, so they got their backpacks. Finally, the bell rings. The bus riders went down the hall with another teacher, while the car riders stayed with Bayley.

"Come on, kids," She says, leading them out of the classroom and to the front of the school.

Slowly, the number of students decreased. Just when Bayley was going to lead the few children left inside, a black SUV pulled up.

"It's my daddy!" A young girl - JoJo - exclaims.

She runs to the car, her teacher following close behind. She opens the back door for JoJo, who gets into the car.

Bayley looked at the girl's father. He had long black hair, tanned skin, and quite a few tattoos.

"Well, tomorrow is show and tell," Bayley explains nervously. "JoJo needs to bring something."

"I'll make sure she brings something," He responds, smiling. "Are you excited, JoJo?"

"Yeah!" She answers.

Bayley chuckles. "Well, I'll let you two go. Have a good day, Mr. Reigns."

"Bye Ms. Martinez!" JoJo says, grinning.

Bayley lingers for a few seconds, silently watching the man, but she quickly shuts the door and goes back to stand with the other students. Michelle McCool, a fourth grade math teacher, stood with her own students, smirking.

Soon, the students have left and only the teachers remain. Bayley went to go inside, but Michelle stopped her.

"Oh, hey, Michelle," She says, offering the older woman a smile.

"Hey," Michelle says. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure." Bayley nods. "What's up?"

"So who were you talking to?" Michelle asks, smirking.

Bayley frowns. "What are you talking about?"

"When you brought that little girl to her car, you stayed there longer than normal," The blonde woman explains. "So...?"

Bayley shakes her head and blushes. "It's nothing."

"It doesn't seem like nothing," Michelle says.

"Well..." The younger woman bites her bottom lip. "Maybe the guy was kind of attractive..."

"Do you know if he's coming to parent-teacher conferences?" Michelle asks. "I'd like to see him myself."

Bayley's eyes widen. "Oh, I completely forgot about those. I'll have to send a letter home to the kids. I'll see you later, Michelle."

As Bayley walks inside, Michelle calls after her, "We're not done talking about this!"

* * *

Renee Young paced back and forth, her growing frustration clear on her face. Her co-anchor, Dolph Ziggler, had suddenly left twenty minutes ago, and the show was set to start in just five minutes. She was growing impatient and angry.

The door opened and closed, and the bleach blonde man walked in, carrying two cups. He walks right up to Renee, handing her one.

"Where the hell have you been?" She asks.

Dolph looks at her. "I got drinks."

"I didn't ask for coffee - "

"Actually, it's tea."

"And we're about to go on air!" Renee finishes. "What were you thinking?!"

"Dolph, Renee, we're on in one minute," A cameraman says.

Renee shoots Dolph one last glare before walking to the desk and sitting down. Dolph follows close behind, taking a seat next to her and setting his coffee down.

"We're on in three, two, one..."

"Hello and welcome to KURZ Channel 4 news. I'm Renee Young."

"And I'm Dolph Ziggler. Today, a convenience store in Houston..."


	2. She Looks So Perfect

**I forgot to mention that all the chapters in this story are named after songs. Sometimes they have to do with the chapters, sometimes they don't. I just like songs. :P The last chapter was named after _Centuries_ by Fall Out Boy. This one is named after _She Looks So Perfect_ by 5 Seconds of Summer.**

 **Also, thank you for the reviews on the first chapter! I'm excited that people like the story already!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one or anything in this story besides Monroeville.**

* * *

"This is Renee Young reporting for KURZ. Thanks for watching."

The camera stops rolling and Renee sighs. Before she could think of all the ways she was going to kill Dolph, the camera man stepped away from the camera.

He was new, she could tell. The usual camera man was Rey Mysterio, a short Mexican man who was extremely friendly. This man had a scowl on his face, so Renee was guessing that he wasn't very nice.

He had short dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He was considerably taller than Rey. He was wearing all black. He glanced over at her and she quickly averted her eyes when she realized she had been staring.

"Need something, sweet checks?" He asks, smirking.

Renee blushes. "Oh, uh, no. No, I'm good. Sorry." The man chuckles softly and begins walking away. "Wait!" He stops and looks at her, his eyebrow raised. "Uh, what's your name?"

"Dean."

* * *

Paige sat in her dorm room, anxiously waiting for her roommate, Emma, to return from class. As she waited, she noticed the sharp contrast between their sides of the room.

Emma's side of the room had a lot of bright colors. Her sheets were pink and she had a big fluffy blanket sitting on her bed. She had strung lights along her wall and the ceiling. She had a few posters on the wall, mostly bands like the Arctic Monkeys and Lana del Ray.

Paige's side of the room, however, was very dark. Her sheets were black and she had a dark purple blanket. Her wall was covered in posters, everything from All Time Low to Five Finger Death Punch; there was no visible part of the wall.

Although Paige and Emma were very different, they were best friends. Paige had come from England, so Texas was a pretty scary place. When she found out Emma was from Australia, she was ecstatic. They were both from outside the states.

She was about to take out her laptop and do some homework when the door finally opened. Emma walked in, dropping her bag on the bed and setting her laptop on the desk.

"Hey, Emma, guess what?" Paige asks, hopping up and smiling.

"What is it?" Emma asks.

"What would you do if I told you I had concert tickets?" Paige asks.

"I'd tell you to give them to me!" Emma says, jokingly. "Do you really have concert tickets?"

Paige brings the tickets out from behind her back. "Two tickets to see Parkway Drive in Monroeville!"

"Oh my gosh!" Emma exclaims. "That's awesome! When's the concert?"

"This Saturday!"

Emma frowns. "Oh..."

"What's wrong?" Paige asks, frowning.

"Erm..."

"What's going on, Em?"

"I...have a date on Saturday..." She finally says.

"Really? That's awesome!" Paige says. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"His name is Corey and he asked me earlier today, before class," Emma admits.

"That's great, Emma!" Paige says. "I'll just find someone else to go with. And when I get back, you're telling me all about your date!"

"Of course I will!" Emma says.

Paige gives Emma a hug. "Well, I have homework, so I'm going to head to the library."

"Okay, see you later."

* * *

"TJ, I need two chicken pecan salads!" Nattie Neidhart yells once she reaches the kitchen.

"On it," TJ Wilson, her boyfriend, says.

Nattie leaves to take more orders while TJ makes the salads. When he finishes, Nattie walks back in with a new order. She takes the salads and brings them out.

She finds the table it's going to. The couple was arguing softly. The woman had long, blonde hair and looked upset, while the guy, with short brown hair, was angry. Nattie decided not to get involved.

Once she got to the table, they were quiet.

"Well, here's your salads," Nattie says, trying to be cheery. "If you need anything else, just let me know."

The girl smiles as her boyfriend says, "We will."

Nattie walks away.

Summer Rae began eating her salad, refusing to look up at Johnny. She could tell he was staring at her, but she refused to acknowledge him.

"Are you ignoring me now?" Johnny asks. "Really? That's childish."

Summer's head snaps up. " _That's_ childish! You're the one getting mad at me for doing my job!"

"You were flirting with that guy!" Johnny argues. "I could tell by the look on your face."

"We were talking about his wife!" Summer says. "And I'm dating you! Why would I flirt with another guy?"

"You're tired of me," Johnny states.

Summer rolls her eyes. "Just eat your salad."

"Admit it," He says. "You're tired of me."

"John - "

"See, I knew it!" He exclaims. "Why don't we just break up then? Is that what you want?"

Summer sighs. "You're overreacting. I'm not tired of you. We're going to be together forever, remember?"

Johnny stares at her pleading eyes. "Yeah... I guess you're right."

"Now eat!" Summer says. "You don't want to dance on an empty stomach."

Johnny rolls his eyes. "You're so bossy." He picks up his fork and takes a bite of his salad. "There. Are you happy now?"

Summer laughs. "Yes. I'm happy now."

As they eat, Summer thinks about his words. Was she tired of him? Lately, she noticed that she was drifting away from him. Sure, he was attractive, but she just wasn't attracted to him. She must have been attracted to him at some point, but now she felt nothing. She didn't want to tell him that, though. He was a professional dancer and she was his partner. It didn't pay anything, but they began dancing together at the beginning of their relationship. If they broke up, it would be awkward.

As a hair stylist, she was always listening to people's problems, but she never had anyone to talk about her problems with.

"Hey, are you okay?" Johnny asks, frowning.

"Huh?" Summer asks, looking up from her food. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

* * *

Roman finished getting dressed and walked into the living room. As a bouncer at Barrett's, he worked nights.

"All right, JoJo, time for bed," He says, turning off the TV.

"But I'm not tired!" She protests, but a small yawn escapes her lips.

Roman raises an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

JoJo sighs and stands up. "Okay..."

Roman follows JoJo to her room. He closes his eyes as she puts on her pajamas. Once she finishes, he opens them and she sits down on her bed.

"Lay - "

"Oh wait!" She exclaims, standing up. She dashes over to her backpack, sitting next to her bedroom door. She digs around before pulling out a piece of paper. "Here you go! Ms. Martinez said to give this to you!"

Roman takes it as she walks back to her bed. "Are you done now?"

"Yep!"

JoJo gets under her blanket and gets comfortable.

"Good night, JoJo."

"Night, Daddy!"

Roman turns off her light and closes her bedroom door. He goes back to the living room and sits down, reading the crumpled up paper in his hands.

 _"Dear Parents,_

 _It's that time of year again! On Thursday and Friday of this week, we will be having parent-teacher conferences! I hope you'll stop by and talk with me! Your children are wonderful and I'd love the opportunity to meet all of you!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Bayley Martinez"_

"So her name is Bayley..." Roman muses.

He sets the paper on the coffee table and walks out the door, already deciding to go to parent-teacher conferences.

* * *

"...And I smelled like coffee for a week!" AJ exclaims.

Kaitlyn laughs. "Wow. I hate that I missed that!"

AJ laughs as she checks the time. "I have to close up shop. But I'm off tomorrow, so text me and we can hang out, okay?"

"Yeah, definitely," Kaitlyn agrees.

The door to the shop opens.

"Sorry, we're about to close," AJ says.

"Actually, I'm here to pick up Kaitlyn."

Kaitlyn turns around when she hears the voice to see Cody standing near the front of the coffee shop.

"Cody?"

"You two know each other?" AJ asks.

"Yeah, he was at my parents' house this morning," Kaitlyn says.

AJ frowns as Cody says, "Yeah, and now they want you home. They thought you got lost."

"Oh..." Kaitlyn blushes. "Well, I've been here most of the day."

"Well, if she's about to close up shop, why don't I take you home?" Cody suggests.

AJ grins. "She'd love to!" Kaitlyn glares at her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Katie. Remember to text me!"

As they leave, Cody laughs. "Great friend you've got there."

"Eh," Kaitlyn says as they walk outside.

Cody's car was parked outside the shop, so they got in and he starts driving.

"So how long have you lived here?" Kaitlyn asks.

"I was born and raised here," Cody answers. "What about you?"

"I've lived here for about a day," She replies, laughing.

"I meant before you moved here," He says, smiling.

"Well, I was born and raised in Houston," She explains. "I went to the University of Minnesota for a couple of years, then I moved here to Monroeville."

"Wow," He says, impressed.

They reached her neighborhood and soon, her house.

"Well, we're here," Kaitlyn says. She smiles and looks at him. "Thanks for the ride. I'm sure my parents appreciate it."

He chuckles. "It's no problem. If you ever need a ride, call me."

"I'll hold you to that," She says, smiling. She opens the door. "I'll see you later, Cody."

"Bye, Kaitlyn."


	3. GirlsGirlsBoys

**This is where the chapters start focusing on certain pairings. Once you start reading, you'll figure out who this chapter is about. And this chapter is named after _Girls/Girls/Boys_ by Panic! at the Disco.**

 **I'll be giving shoutouts to everyone who reviews. So thank you to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing both chapters, Guest for reviewing chapter 1, and for reviewing chapter 2.**

 **Now on to the chapter!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely no one. I only own the town of Monroeville. Everyone else belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Renée walked into the studio. Her blonde hair was curled, and she had put on makeup, adding the final touch of red lipstick before she left the house. The morning news was set to start soon, so she headed to the newsroom.

Dolph was already in there, talking with Rey. The guy from yesterday - Dean - wasn't there, and for some reason, Renée was disappointed.

They'd only had one conversation together - a very short one, at that - and he was pretty rude to her. It didn't make any sense at all that she should be upset by his absence.

Dolph heard Renée's footsteps and looked up, a smirk forming on his face. When she reached them, she pursed her lips and crossed her arms.

"So..." She says.

"How was your day, Renée?" Dolph asks, putting his hands in his pockets.

"It was pretty good." She pauses. "Oh wait. It was pretty good until you decided to show up five minutes before we began filming! Dolph, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Rey looks between them, and quickly excuses himself.

"Nothing's wrong with me!" He protests.

"You never go get coffee at random times, especially when we're about to film!" She exclaims. "You're usually more professional than this."

"Look, I'm sorry," He apologizes. "I was thirsty, okay? It won't happen again."

"It better - "

" _ZIGGLER! YOUNG_!" A voice yelled. " _MY OFFICE! NOW_!"

Dolph and Renée glance at each other before going toward the voice. It came from behind a door, in an office. Dolph opened it and they walked in.

John Layfield sat behind his desk, frowning. He was wearing a suit, and his cowboy hat sat at the corner of the desk. He never actually wore the hat, just let it sit there, and Renée never knew why.

Dolph and Renée have a seat, and John clears his throat.

"Hi, Mr. Layfield," Renée says. She smiles nervously.

"I run a business," John begins, ignoring Renée completely. "And in my business, I need professionals."

"I agree completely, sir," Renée says.

"And one thing a professional does not do is leave when we're about to start filming!" John exclaims. Renée glances at Dolph, who has begun to look nervous. "That is completely irresponsible and cannot be tolerated!"

"Look, sir - " Dolph begins.

"Dolph," John says, calmly. "You're usually better than this. As long as this doesn't happen again, you'll be fine. Do it again, and I'll have to fire you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Dolph replies, nodding.

"Good." John leans back in his chair. "Now, Renée..."

"Yes, sir?" She asks, frowning.

"Keep an eye on him, okay?" He responds. "Make sure he doesn't act up. If he does, you'll both be fired."

She widened her eyes. "I'll make sure he doesn't."

"Good." He smiles. "You can leave now."

Renée and Dolph stand up and practically run out of the office. When they close the door, Renée hits him in the arm.

"Ow!" He exclaims, frowning and rubbing his arm. They begin walking.

"You're an idiot," She says, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry..." He mumbles.

They reach the newsroom and Renée's eyes widen. Rey is still there, and another man - one with dirty blonde hair - has arrived. They are both focused on the camera. When he hears footsteps, Rey looks up and grins.

"Hey guys!" He says. He looks at the man next to him. "Let me introduce you to my new assistant. This is Dean Ambrose." Dean smirks and gives a slight nod. "Dean, this is Renée Young and Dolph Ziggler. You'll be seeing a lot of them, so I hope you guys like each other."

Dean goes back to looking at the camera, so Dolph and Renée walk over to the news desk. They can hear a door open, and heels click-clacking on the floor as someone walks.

Sasha Banks, the meteorologist, walks in, slightly out of breath.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" She says. "The traffic was terrible!"

"It's fine, Sasha," Renée says. "We have about ten minutes, so you have time to get ready."

Sasha smiles and walks away, preparing to do the weather.

The next ten minutes pass in silence, before Rey speaks again.

"We're on in thirty seconds, guys!" He says.

Renée and Dolph sit up straighter and look at the teleprompter.

Throughout the show, Renée's eyes kept finding their way to Dean before quickly going back to the teleprompter. Her heartbeat was loud and she'd be surprised if the people at home couldn't hear it.

She hoped she didn't appear too flustered to the viewers, but she couldn't be sure.

When they finished filming, Renée let out a sigh of relief.

Everyone began talking at once, and it was eventually decided that Renée would go eat with Sasha and her friend, Charlotte. She normally ate with Dolph, but she was still angry with him, so it would probably be a day or two before they started speaking again.

The girls walked out of the building and to Sasha's car. Once they got in, Sasha started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"So..." Sasha says, grinning. "What do you think of the new guy?"

"Oh, you mean..." Renée pauses and pretends to think. "His name is Gene or something, right? Gene Ambrose?"

Sasha rolls her eyes. "No! His name is Dean and you know it!"

"How do you - ?"

"You were looking at him every ten seconds!" She interrupts. "You know you were, so don't even try to lie about it."

Renée blushes and looks down. "Okay, you might be kind of right..."

"When was the last time you had a boyfriend?" Sasha asks.

"Probably during college..."

"See, this is good for you," Sasha says. "You need to ask him out. I'm sure he doesn't bite."

"Sasha!"

She laughs. "Okay, sorry. But when you do ask him out, make sure you don't call him Gene. That would be awkward."

"Who said I was asking him out?" Renée asks.

"Renée, you have to ask him out!" Sasha exclaims. "This is a matter of life and death we're talking about!"

Renée raises an eyebrow. "How is this a matter of life and death?"

"It just is, okay?"

Renée laughs as they pull into the parking lot of Eat Your Hart Out.

The girls walk in and are greeted by Natalya, who shows them to their table. A few minutes later, Charlotte arrives, and they enjoy a lunch together.

After filming the noon and six o'clock news, they could finally go home. Dolph left once the cameras stopped rolling with no explanation. Rey did too, but he was meeting his family for dinner. Sasha had a date, so she had to get home.

Renée walked outside. A strong breeze blew her hair into her face, and she zipped up her jacket. She put her hands in her pockets and began walking.

She only lived two blocks from the studio, so she normally walked to and from work, weather permitting.

It was dark out. It had been getting dark earlier and earlier each day. Renée loved winter because she could look up at the stars whenever she walked home.

"Hey!"

She stopped, frowning. A man stood in front of her wearing all black. He was wearing a mask, so she couldn't see his face. He had a knife in his hand and was pointing it at her. Her eyes widened.

"Give me your money!" He yelled.

She involuntarily backed up, and he grabbed her by the arm. He stood in front of her and brought the knife to her throat.

"You're not going anywhere," He snarls. "Now, give me your money and you can go."

Suddenly, he wasn't in front of her anymore. He was a few feet away from her, getting punched in the face.

"Oh my God," She whispers. "Dean...?"

Dean had the man on the ground now. He looked over at Renée.

"What are you doing?" He yells. "Get out of here!"

Renée backs away slowly, and when she sees that Dean has it under control, runs away.


	4. Idols and Anchors

**This chapter is named after _Idols and Anchors_ by Parkway Drive. If you happen to know which wrestlers like that band, you can figure out who this chapter is about. :P**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing last chapter! :D**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely no one in the chapter. Everyone belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

"Wait, what?"

"I just beat up a guy!" Dean exclaims.

"Wow..." Seth Rollins says.

"What are you guys talking about?" Roman asks, frowning.

Seth moves the phone away from his mouth. "Dean just beat up a guy."

"Why?!"

Bringing the phone back to its original position, Seth asks, "Dean, you can't just go around beating people up for no reason. What if - ?"

"Hold on, Seth, just hear me out," Dean interrupts. "You know Renée Young? The one on the news?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, this guy was robbing her, and I wasn't just going to let it happen, so I beat him up!" Dean explains. "I pretty much saved her life."

"I guess when you put it that way..." Seth trails off.

"You know I'm right," Dean says.

"Yeah, yeah," Seth says. "Listen, I've got to go. I'm giving Roman a tattoo."

"Another one?" Dean asks. "Does he have room for another one?"

"We're about to find out," Seth says.

They hang up, and Seth walks over to Roman, who is sitting in a chair.

"So, what do you want today?" Seth asks.

Roman begins digging around in his pocket, then pulls out a piece of paper. He hands it to Seth. It simply said "JoJo."

"Is this in JoJo's handwriting?" Seth asks, looking at his friend.

"Yeah," He replies. "She was so confused when I asked her to write her name down." He chuckles.

After sorting out more of the details, Seth begins working on Roman's tattoo.

* * *

Barrett's was surprisingly full. It wasn't that Paige thought no one listened to Parkway Drive; she was just unaware that so many people in Texas listened to them.

She stood in line outside. She wore black leggings, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket. Her black hair was straightened, and she was hopping up and down in place in excitement.

The line moved slowly, but eventually she made her way to the front. She gave the bouncer - a large Samoan man with tattoos - her ticket. He let her in and Paige walked inside.

There were a lot of people inside, and even more outside.

On her right was a bar, along with a few tables and chairs. People were lined up getting drinks. On her left was the stage, which had people already standing around it. Tech guys stood onstage, getting the microphones and instruments ready.

Paige walked over to the bar and sat down. A bartender walked up to her, smiling.

"What can I get ya?" He asks.

"Just a Coke, please," She says, giving him a smile in return.

She was only 22, which was old enough to drink, but she'd never had a sip of alcohol in her life. She didn't want to try it tonight, surrounded by strangers.

More people came into the building as the bartender gave Paige her drink. As she took a sip of it, someone took a seat next to her.

"I'll just have a beer," He says to the bartender.

Paige glanced at him. He had very short hair cut close to his head. He was pretty tan and had sleeves of tattoos on his arms. He wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and had a smirk on his face.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" He asks. The bartender hands him his drink.

"I came for the music," She says, shrugging.

He raises his eyebrows. "You're British?"

"Last I checked."

He halfway grins. "My name's Randy."

She hesitates, then says, "I'm Paige."

* * *

Seth was running late. Roman's tattoo didn't take too long, but he had to finish up things around the shop. When he finally finished, the concert had started five minutes before.

He drove to Barrett's. There was no longer a line because everyone was inside. Roman still stood outside, though, and greeted Seth as he walked by.

Seth walked in and was bombarded by sound. One of the opening bands was playing, but there were also people at the bar talking. Since he didn't drink, he turned his attention to the band.

He didn't know them, but it was his style of music, so he paid attention. Eventually, the band finished and left the stage. There was a small break to let the next band get ready.

"Get off of me!"

An annoyed British accent caused Seth to turn around. At the bar, a guy was hovering over a small, pale girl. She looked annoyed more than anything. The guy was obviously drunk, and he looked upset.

He began whispering to the girl, who went from annoyed to wide-eyed. She tried to stand up, but he shoved her back on the stool. He gripped her arm as he continued talking, softly.

No one else was paying them much attention, but Seth was concerned. He looked at the stage and saw they were still getting ready, so he turned back around and walked over to them.

"Hey, is everything okay over here?" Seth asks, frowning.

The girl looked at him, desperately, while the guy became annoyed.

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?" He asks.

Upon closer look, Seth recognized the man as Randy Orton, who had come to his shop plenty of times.

"Look, Randy, you're pretty wasted," Seth says. "You don't want to do something you're going to regret later. Why don't you leave her alone?"

Randy narrows his eyes and looks at Seth. Finally, he lets go of the girl's arm, mumbles something, and walks away.

"Thanks," The girl says.

"Randy's a moron sometimes," Seth says. "He'll probably come back and apologize later, just so you know."

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," She says, shrugging.

Seth takes Randy's seat. "So, are you here with anyone?"

"You're already hitting on me?" She asks, laughing.

"I just didn't want you to be alone, in case Randy came back," He explains. "I'm not hitting on you, I promise." He pauses. "That sounded kind of bad..."

She rolls her eyes. "Well, I'm Paige."

"I'm Seth," He says.

"How do you and Randy know each other?" Paige asks.

"I'm his tattoo artist," He says. "I gave him most of his tattoos."

"Do you have any?" She asks.

"Are you assuming because I'm a tattoo artist, I'm going to have tattoos?" He asks, pretending to me offended.

"Yes, I am, so don't act like I'm offending you," She says, rolling her eyes.

"I have one on my back," He says.

"What is it?" She asks.

He looks around, leans over, and whispers, "It's a secret."

"You're a jerk," She states, crossing her arms and frowning.

"I'll make you a deal," He says.

"Okay."

"If we ever see each other again after this, I'll show it to you," He says. "But you have to ask about it, because I'm going to forget."

"Deal," She says.

"So, are you here for the bands or the bar?" Seth asks after a brief silence.

"Parkway Drive is my jam!" Paige says. "What about you?"

"I guess Parkway Drive is my jam, too," He replies.

Paige purses her lips and studies him. "It doesn't sound right when you say it."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He exclaims, laughing.

"It's a British thing," She says, shrugging.

"No, it's a _you're mean_ thing," Seth shoots back.

"Ouch," She says. "That really hurt my feelings."

"Oh, did it?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, no, it didn't," She corrects herself. "I don't have feelings."

"That doesn't seem safe," He points out. "You should get that checked out."

"I probably will," She says. "Some day."


	5. Cinderblock Garden

**This is the last chapter I have fully written, which means I need to start working on the next one. The couple in this chapter haven't actually met yet, so I'm not going to tell you who they are. Once you start reading, you'll figure out who it is, though. xD**

 **This chapter is named after _Cinderblock Garden_ by All Time Low (aka my favorite band ever).**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing last chapter! :D**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely no one. Everyone in this chapter belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

The classroom was full of parents. They were sitting in the students' desks. They were talking to each other, waiting for the parent-teacher conferences to begin.

Bayley was going to begin in a few minutes. There were a few parents who weren't there, and she wanted to make sure they had time to make it. She knew how busy people could get sometimes.

Two minutes later, the door opened. It was JoJo's dad. He was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. His tattoos were showing and his hair was in a ponytail. His eyes landed on Bayley and he smiled. He walked over to her.

"I'm not late, am I?" He asked. His voice was deep.

Bayley shook her head. "No." She slid a clipboard toward him. "I do need you to sign in, though."

"Of course." He picked up a pen and signed his name.

"You can take a seat anywhere," She said. "We'll be starting in a few minutes."

He nodded and walked over to an empty desk near the back of the room. The desks were too small for the other parents, but it looked like a toy compared to him. He tried not to show his discomfort, though, and eventually stopped moving around in his seat.

Bayley looked down at the clipboard. His name was at the bottom. Roman Reigns. She could finally put a name to his face.

A few minutes went by and one other parent arrived. Bayley shut the door and began.

"Hello everyone!" She exclaimed, smiling. The parents got quiet. "I'm Bayley Martinez, your children's second grade teacher! They're all great kids and I'd love to talk with each of you personally, so I'll be going down the clipboard, talking to each of you."

She picked up the clipboard, read off the first name, and walked back to her desk.

This went on for a while, until only two people remained. She put a check mark next to the lady she just spoke to, and went to the next name.

"Roman Reigns?"

He stood up, almost knocking over the desk. He quickly straightened it and walked over to her. He sat down in the normal sized chair in front of her desk.

He chuckled. "Sorry about that..."

She smiled. "It's fine. The desks are made for seven-year-olds. Even _I_ couldn't fit in one."

He laughed. "Well, all right..." He stuck his hand out. "I'm Roman Reigns. I'm JoJo's dad."

"Hello - "

"Please don't call me Mr. Reigns," He interjected. "It makes me feel old. Just call me Roman."

"All right...Roman," She said. "JoJo is a wonderful student." She pulled a piece of paper out of a folder on her desk. She slid it toward him. "I asked all my students to write about their role models, and this is what JoJo wrote."

Roman picked up the paper with a small smile on his face. As he read it, his smile grew bigger. When he finished, he handed it back to Bayley.

"I'm her role model, huh?" He asked.

Bayley smiled. "She talks about you all the time. You must be a great dad."

"Well, JoJo seems to think so." He chuckled.

Roman and Bayley continued talking about JoJo. She mentioned her grades in the class ( _"All A's, which is great."_ ) and how she interacted with the other students ( _"She loves everyone, whether they love her back or not."_ ). Eventually, she stopped and told him she had to speak to another parent.

"Do you have a Post-It note?" Roman asked. Bayley nodded and handed him a bright orange one. He picked up a pen and wrote something down, then handed it back to her. "Here's my number. Just in case anything happens to JoJo. Call me first, okay?"

Bayley nodded, sticking the note to the table, next to her stapler. "I will."

"Thank you for talking with me Ms. Martinez," He said, standing up. "Have a good night."

"Thank you. You, too."

Roman walked out of the room. A few seconds later, Michelle appeared in the doorway. Her eyes were wide and she pointed in the direction Roman had walked. Bayley rolled her eyes, and when the other teacher saw she had a parent in the room, walked away.

Bayley talked to the parent for a few minutes. When they finished, the parent left and Bayley stood up. She picked up the clipboard and put the paper in her filing cabinet.

"Knock, knock." Michelle knocked twice on the door and walked in. " _That_ was the guy you were talking about?"

Bayley rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, it was. Why is that so weird?"

"He just doesn't seem like your type," Michelle responded. "He looks like he beats people up. In his sleep."

"And...?"

"And I think you date guys who are safe," She said. "Guys who have office jobs and work from nine to five."

Bayley shrugged. "I wouldn't really know..."

Michelle's eyes widened. "Have you never been on a date?"

"No, not really," She said. She sighed. "Look, Michelle, I don't want to talk about this. Can we discuss this another time? Or never discuss it at all? Yeah, I think I like that idea more. Let's never talk about it again."

"It's okay that you've never dated anyone," Michelle assured her. "You're still young. You've got plenty of time."

"Why are you so intent on me dating Roman?" Bayley asked.

"His name is Roman?" Michelle raised her eyebrows. Bayley frowned. "I just want you to be happy, Bayley."

"But I _am_ happy!" She protested.

"Yeah, when you're teaching," Michelle said. "I want someone your own age to make you happy, so that when you go home at night, someone is there to continue making you happy."

"You just barely got married, though," Bayley pointed out. She began straightening up desks.

"But I dated all kinds of people before I met Mark," She explained. "You haven't dated anyone!"

"I'm not talking about this anymore, Michelle," Bayley said, walking toward the door. "I'm going home. Good night."

Roman arrived home. He unlocked the door and walked inside. JoJo came barreling toward him, and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"Did you have fun at the parent-teacher confer-thingys?" She asked, letting go of his legs.

He chuckled. "Yes, I did."

"Did you meet Ms. Martinez?" She asked.

Roman started walking over to the couch, and JoJo followed. "I did. That's why I went, so I could meet your teacher."

"Oh," She said. "What did she say? Did she talk about me?"

"She did." Roman nodded. "She said you had good grades and that you're very nice. She also showed me something you wrote."

She frowned. "What?"

"You said I was your role model."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "You are my role model! You take care of me, and you take me places, and you love me. You're the best daddy ever!"

She leaned over and hugged him. Roman smiled and hugged her back.

He picked her up, and stood up. "Come on, JoJo. It's time for bed."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Okay..."

He walked her to her room. She put on her pajamas before crawling into bed.

"Did you like Ms. Martinez?" She asked.

"I did," Roman replied. "I thought she was a very nice lady."

"Okay."

He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, JoJo."

"Good night, Daddy."


	6. Girls Like Girls

**I'm finally posting a new chapter! Thanks for sticking around if you have. :)**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing the last chapter!**

 **This chapter is named after the song _Girls Like Girls_ by Hayley Kiyoko.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in this story. Everyone belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

 **TRIGGER WARNING:**

 **There is a scene in this chapter that involves abuse, so please don't read this if that is triggering to you. I don't want anything happening to any of you, so please make sure you don't read this if you don't think you can. :)**

* * *

"Hey, girls."

AJ and Layla turn around to look at their boss, Kofi Kingston. He was in the process of putting his jacket on.

"Hi, Kofi," AJ greeted, smiling. When she first started working there, she had called him "Mr. Kingston," but he didn't like it and insisted on being called Kofi. It still felt weird to her, but she was slowly getting used to it.

"I need to leave early tonight, so I need you two to close up shop," He explained. "Can you do that?"

"Yes, of course!" Layla responded.

"Great!" He said. "The keys are in the backroom, so you can just head back there when you're done."

They said their goodbyes, and Kofi left. Layla and AJ began cleaning up. The shop didn't close for another hour, but it was nighttime, and not many people stopped by when it was dark out.

The door opened, causing the bell on top to ring. Layla turned around.

The woman walking in had long blonde, curly hair. Her legs seemed to go on for days. She was wearing a t-shirt and athletic shorts. She looked frustrated and annoyed. AJ was in the back, so Layla walked to the counter.

"Welcome to Kofi's Coffee," Layla said, smiling. "What can I get you?"

"Can I just have a green tea, please?" The woman asked. Layla nodded and made the drink. When she brought it back for her, she was frowning. "What's wrong?"

"I left my wallet at the studio," She said. She groaned. "God, I'm so dumb. I'm sorry for wasting your time. I have no money, so – "

"It's on me," Layla interrupted. She smiled. "Take the tea. It's not that expensive anyway, so just let me pay for it."

"Are you sure?" The blonde asked.

"Positive."

She took the tea from Layla, and dug around in her pockets before pulling out a business card.

"Here," She said, handing it to Layla. "I'm a stylist, so come in some time and I'll give you a free haircut."

"Wow, thanks," Layla said, smiling. Her eyes scanned the card as the blonde walked out of the coffee shop.

Her name was Summer Rae. Her hair reminded Layla of summer, with its bright color and beauty. She was definitely taking her up on that offer.

* * *

Summer walked out of Kofi's Coffee, frowning. How did she manage to forget her wallet? She'd changed and grabbed her phone, but she couldn't remember to grab her wallet. It's a good thing she was walking and not driving, or else she'd have been pulled over.

Her phone started vibrating. She sighed and pulled it out of her pocket, and sure enough, it was Johnny calling for at least the fifth time. She rolled her eyes and answered it. She stopped walking and leaned on the nearby wall of the restaurant Johnny always took her to, Eat Your Hart Out.

"What?" Summer snapped.

"Summer Rae Moinet, you will _not_ talk to me that way!" Johnny all but yelled at her.

"I've had enough of your shit, Johnny," She said.

"Excuse me?"

She began walking. "You treat me like crap and I'm fucking sick of it," Johnny hated it when she swore, so she had more where that came from. "I'm with you at least five hours a day, taking time out of my personal life, to cater to you and your fucking needs. I'm not the only dancer in this lame ass town, you know. You could find someone else to dance with every now and then. Maybe let me live my life the way I want."

"Summer – "

"No, I'm not through," She interrupted. "Have you _seen_ the ugly ass - ?"

Her phone flew out of her hand as she was shoved into a wall. Johnny was standing in front of her, and he looked angry.

"You know I hate it when you swear, Summer," He said, his voice low and surprisingly calm.

"I…" She trailed off.

"You have one chance to apologize," He said. When she didn't say anything, he slapped her. "Looks like we have to do this the hard way."

"What are you - ?" Summer began, but quickly stopped when Johnny picked her up and put her over his shoulder. She screamed.

"Shut up!" He yelled. "You'll only make it worse."

"I'm so sorry, Johnny," She apologized, tears running down her face. "I didn't mean any of it, I promise."

He chuckled. "It's too late, Summer. You're always too late."

Johnny walked over to a car parked on the side of the road. Summer was sobbing as he placed her in the backseat. He walked over to the driver's side, got in, and started the car.

"I'm…so…sorry…" Summer said between sobs.

Johnny just shook his head and drove away.

* * *

AJ Lee walked back to the front of the store, a rag in her hand.

"I'm so tired," She said, walking to a table. She started cleaning it. When she didn't hear a snarky remark in return, she looked at Layla, who was standing at the counter staring at something in her hand. "Layla? What are you looking at?"

She looked up. "Oh, nothing."

AJ set down her cleaning supplies and walked over to Layla, who didn't even try to hide what appeared to be a business card. She took it from the Brit, her eyes scanning it.

"Summer Rae Moinet?" AJ read, looking up at Layla, who nodded. "Why do you have the business card of a hair stylist?"

"She came in when you were in the back," Layla explained. "She forgot her wallet, so I told her the drink was on me, and she gave me this in return."

AJ smirked. "Does Layla have the hots for Summer?"

Layla scrunched up her nose. "Of course not. I might have a crush on her, but definitely not _the hots_."

AJ just rolled her eyes and went back to her table, picking up the cleaning supplies.

* * *

It was Layla's day off, and she was now standing in front of Summertime Salon. She was debating whether or not to go in. It was just the night before that she'd met Summer, and she didn't know if it was too soon to take her up on her offer. Finally, she took a deep breath and opened the doors.

A bell above it rang. There was a girl at the front behind a desk, probably the receptionist. She was African-American and had red hair. She was smiling and talking to someone on the other side of the salon. Layla's eyes instantly found Summer, but besides her, there were three other women. One had even redder hair than the receptionist, while the other two looked alike. _They must be twins,_ Layla thought. They did look different in some ways, but they mostly looked alike.

The receptionist looked at Layla and grinned. "Hi! Welcome to Summertime Salon! Do you have an appointment?"

Summer looked up and smiled. "It's okay, Alicia. I invited her here. I can squeeze her in. Come on back here."

Layla walked back to where Summer was. She had a spinning seat in front of her, so she sat down. One of the twins had someone in her chair, but the other two ladies were just standing and talking.

Summer started doing something with Layla's hair. "So, I never caught your name last night."

"Layla," She said. "And you're Summer, right?"

"Yeah," She replied. "I own this place. It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun, you know? I love working with these girls." She motioned toward the other stylists.

"Oh, yeah, it seems like fun," Layla agreed.

Summer found she loved hearing Layla talk. It was most definitely her accent, and she was going to have to come up with ways to keep her talking.

"So, what do you want to do with your hair?" Summer asked.

"Just a trim will be fine," Layla responded.

"All right." Summer smiled.

While Summer worked on her hair, Layla watched her from the mirror. Her blue eyes sparkled as she put Layla's hair up. Anyone could tell that Summer really loved what she was doing. Layla could only see her upper body in the mirror – the bottom half was blocked by her chair – but she knew she had an amazing body. She had watched it walk away last night after she ordered her coffee.

Summer's face was in deep thought, but Layla noticed something. She had tried to cover it up with makeup, but she could still faintly see it.

"Are you okay?" Layla asked.

Summer raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

Layla hadn't meant to say anything, but she accidentally blurted it out. Right now, surrounded by the other stylists and customers, was not the time to talk about this.

"Oh, um, nothing," Layla said, resisting the urge to shake her head.

A little while later, Summer said, "You're done!"

Layla looked in the mirror. While her hair wasn't significantly shorter, it was still noticeable. It looked good on her.

"It's great!" Layla exclaimed. "Thank you so much."

"Hey, Alicia!" The redhead at the front desk looked up from the computer. "This one's on me, so don't worry about payment, okay?"

"You got it," Alicia said, smiling, before looking back at the computer.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" Layla asked Summer.

"Well, I have to work, but after that I'm free," She replied.

"We close at eight, so could you stop by some time before that?" Layla asked. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Summer nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Thanks for the haircut, by the way," Layla said, standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

* * *

The next day, AJ had the day off, so Layla was working with their other co-worker, Rosa Mendes. Unlike AJ, Rosa didn't talk much, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable or anything, so it was okay with Layla.

Ten minutes before they would be closing the shop, the door opened and Summer Rae walked in. She was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. She smiled at Layla, but when she saw Rosa, her smile grew even bigger.

"Rosa?" She asked. "I didn't know you worked here."

"Just part-time," Rosa said, shrugging.

"How do you two know each other?" Layla asked, looking between the two.

"We go to the same dance studio," Summer said, her eyes returning to Layla.

"You dance?"

"Oh, yeah," Summer said. "I do competitions and stuff with my partner, but it's not a big deal. He's the talented one."

"Oh, please," Rosa said. "You are so much more talented than him!"

"All right, girls," Kofi said, walking behind them. "It's time to close."

"I'll close up," Layla offered. "I need to talk to my friend. We can stay in here, and I'll just lock up when I leave."

Kofi agreed, giving her the keys. He and Rosa left, so Layla led Summer to table and they sat down.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Summer asked.

"I don't want to beat around the bush, so I'm just going to come out and say it," Layla said. "What happened to your eye?"

Summer frowned. "W-What do you mean?"

"You have a black eye, Summer," She said. "You tried covering it up, but I can tell it's there. Trust me, I know a black eye when I see one."

Summer looked down, avoiding Layla's gaze. "Well, I, uh – "

"Don't lie to me, Summer."

"He did it, okay?"

"Who?"

"My dance partner, and, well, my boyfriend," She said, sighing.

"Summer – "

"I know you want me to break up with him, but I can't," She said. "He needs me."

" _He_ needs _you_?" Layla asked.

"To be honest, I'm a better dancer than he is," Summer admitted. "But you can't tell him. He's a professional dancer; it's how he gets paid. I just dance because he's my boyfriend and he needs a partner. But without me, he would lose. Everyone would realize that he can barely dance."

"Summer, please break up with him," Layla said. "It's for your own good."

"Why am I even telling you this?" Summer asked. "I barely even know you. Why do you care?"

"I know what you're going through," Layla said.

"No, you don't!"

"My ex-girlfriend was abusive," Layla admitted. "She's the reason I moved to America. We got into fights all the time, and they always ended up with me lying on the ground, bleeding. We'd both cry and she'd apologize, saying she'd never do it again, but she did. She did it _again and again_. One of my co-workers noticed I had a black eye – even though I was wearing makeup, like you – and he told me to break up with her. So…I did. I broke up with her, packed my bags, and now I'm in Texas."

"I'm sorry…"

"No, it's okay," Layla said, shaking her head. "I learned from the experience. I know what I'm worth. And I know what you're worth. You're worth so much more than this shitty guy you call a boyfriend. Please break up with him. Not for me, but for you. You deserve to be happy, Summer."

Summer was holding back tears, but she managed not to cry. "Okay…"

"Promise me."

"I promise. I'll break up with Johnny. I promise."


End file.
